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trade commissioner |
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The title - less common since the middle of the twentieth century - often given to a non-diplomatic agent charged with the furtherance of the sending entity\'s trade. The agent would be non-diplomatic either because the sending entity lacked sovereignty (sense 1) (and therefore could not accredit diplomatic agents), or because the task was deemed inappropriate for a diplomatic agent, or because it was conducted outside the capital city (where, ordinarily, agents were not eligible for diplomatic status). Such agents were frequently officials of a governmental agency other than the ministry of foreign affairs. Nowadays, trade promotion is accepted as part of a diplomat\'s job. When, therefore, it is conducted at a capital city, it is entrusted to the sending state\'s diplomatic mission, and the individuals in question will almost certainly enjoy diplomatic status - although they may not be members of their states’ foreign service but temporary diplomats. When the task is performed in a city other than the capital, the officers concerned are often part of a consulate, and hence have a consular title - for example, ‘vice-consul (commercial)’ - and consular status. Agents-general play a somewhat similar role to that performed by this kind of trade commissioner. See also satellite office.
A now comparatively rare term for a commercial officer attached to a diplomatic mission. The best-known contemporary examples are provided by the staff of the Trade Commissioner Service of Canada. See also Commercial Diplomatic Service; trade representative. |
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